California - turning with a traffic light question

[giddupandgo]

I just recently moved to California. It seems as though just about every intersection with a traffic light has its own left turn signal. Back where I'm from, when it's no longer protected, you can still turn left if there isn't oncoming traffic (provided the straight traffic still has a green light). I've had two people here tell me that when I have a red arrow and the other traffic has a green light, I can still turn when there isn't oncoming traffic.

Normally I'd say the red light means you don't turn and would write off the first guy as being crazy, but, like I said, two separate people have told me this. Is there any truth to what they say? Is this another one of those idiosyncrasies that California has (like how you're supposed to drive in the bike lane when you're turning right)?

Also, back home we were allowed to turn left on red when going from a one way street onto another one way street (same philosophy as the right-on-red thing). Does this hold true in California as well?

[GoDirectly2Jail]

I just recently moved to California. It seems as though just about every intersection with a traffic light has its own left turn signal. Back where I'm from, when it's no longer protected, you can still turn left if there isn't oncoming traffic (provided the straight traffic still has a green light). I've had two people here tell me that when I have a red arrow and the other traffic has a green light, I can still turn when there isn't oncoming traffic.

Normally I'd say the red light means you don't turn and would write off the first guy as being crazy, but, like I said, two separate people have told me this. Is there any truth to what they say? Is this another one of those idiosyncrasies that California has (like how you're supposed to drive in the bike lane when you're turning right)?

Also, back home we were allowed to turn left on red when going from a one way street onto another one way street (same philosophy as the right-on-red thing). Does this hold true in California as well?

From the California DMV Driver Handbook:

A left turn against a red light can only be made from a one-way street onto a one way street. Signal and stop for a red traffic light at the limit line or corner. You may turn left into a left-moving, one-way street if there is no sign to prohibit the turn. Yield to pedestrians, bicyclists, or other vehicles moving on their green light.

Source: California Driver Handbook Turns

It is the first result on Google when you type in "left turn on red california"

[Samuel]

I just recently moved to California. It seems as though just about every intersection with a traffic light has its own left turn signal. Back where I'm from, when it's no longer protected, you can still turn left if there isn't oncoming traffic (provided the straight traffic still has a green light). I've had two people here tell me that when I have a red arrow and the other traffic has a green light, I can still turn when there isn't oncoming traffic.

Normally I'd say the red light means you don't turn and would write off the first guy as being crazy, but, like I said, two separate people have told me this. Is there any truth to what they say? Is this another one of those idiosyncrasies that California has (like how you're supposed to drive in the bike lane when you're turning right)?

Also, back home we were allowed to turn left on red when going from a one way street onto another one way street (same philosophy as the right-on-red thing). Does this hold true in California as well?

Please do me a favor and tell those people to pull their heads out of their rear apertures...

[Gutwrench]

Hello Giddupandgo,

Treat a red (left) arrow as a solid red light. Thanks for asking and not following wrong advice.

Welcome to California, by the way.

[retdetsgt]

You from Orygun? We can do that here.